Top 14 of 2014

Happy New Year! This is a rookie post for me. When I think back on 2014, one word comes to mind..."change". I'm not going to lie, I'm not a huge fan of it...especially all at once. 2014 was a roller coaster of a year- for my emotions at least. But that's a post for another time...check back in February when I write Brooklynn's 1 year Birthday post! I'll dish on it all then! I did have to constantly remind myself of all of the good things 2014 offered seeing as though it was probably the most difficult year I've had to date. However, 2014 did come with some good memories all of which I'll share with you in this post! Here are my top 14 memories of 2014!

1. Super Bowl Sunday! The day I went into labor with Miss B! 

2. Our little one was born in February. She's almost 1! Ah!

3. "Snowmagedon"

4. Introduced Brooklynn to her uncles and their baseball careers!

      

5. Moved from Charlotte, NC to Greenville, SC in June!

6. Bought our first home in August

7. Favor Women's Ministry launches!

8. Visited the Florida family in Daytona, FL...Brooklynn's first beach trip!

9. Leopard family beach trip in August

10. Brooklynn'a first Halloween. The cutest Frappuccino! 

11. First getaway post baby

12. Brooklynn's first Thanksgiving

13. Brooklynn's first Christmas

14. Florida family visits Greenville for Christmas 

 

We hope every one of you had an enjoyable 2014! Although we had some great things happen in 2014, I'm not too sorry to see it go! Praying for God's best over you and your family in 2015! The best is yet to come!

2014 Alive Highlights

When we started at Fairview in June, we didn't really know what to expect. Of course we had people rave about the volunteer help that we would have and the dedication and passion that those who served in the student ministry had...but come on, they tell you that everywhere. Well, they weren't lying at Fairview. The passion and heart that we have seen displayed throughout not only the student ministry but the church as a whole has blown our minds! Here are just some of the things that we have seen take place since June in the Alive ministry!

8 SALVATIONS

4 BAPTISMS

135 NEW Guests since AUGUST 20th! 

110 Average Attendance on Wednesday nights!

62 Average attendance in Sunday School (June, 41 Now, 62)

12 Worship leaders (In June we had 3)

166 Twitter followers 300 Instagram followers 

164 Text signal contacts

44 BIBLES given away!

300 Bracelets   215 Tshirts

40 Volunteers!! (In June we had 9!)

Quality Control, Gray Room, Gym added!

$372 in cafe profit towards CAMP scholarships!

Over $1000 donated to Alive Center

Keyboard, Paint, and Futons donated!

Come join in on the greatness that 2015 is about to be! The best is yet to come!

Brooklynn's Christmas Wish List

Most would think that a child's first Christmas is a big deal, and it is, but not for reasons that you would think. I think the most fun is just seeing Christmas through her eyes. Seeing her light up at all the bright lights and poke and prod at all the things she isn't allowed to touch. This year, we aren't doing a whole lot on the gift side of things for her because well...there's just no point if we are being honest. She's getting a few things for fun and a few things that are necessities for her but other than that, we all know she'll sit all day playing with tissue paper and boxes. Here are a few things she has "asked" for...;-) Plus, her 1st birthday is right around the corner, too :)

1. Discovering Music Activity Table by Baby Einstein  Brooklynn loves music and loves to stand. Hopefully this will be a winner!

2. Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat I think Santa may feel bad for Brooklynn's car-riding blues...we'll see ;)

3. Summer Infant Diner Portable Placemat I probably get the award for the most non-sanitary mother out there by putting B's food right on the table. I think it's time for a placemat. 

4. Lollaland Lollacup We watched this episode on Shark Tank! I'm exciting to see Brooklynn use it. The base of the straw is weighted so the straw goes wherever she tilts the cup!

5. Pop 'n Play Playard This was a recommendation from another mom! Anything to keep my girl confined since our floor-plan in our home is wide open! This will help me get my teeth brushed!

She's also getting a few little outfits, some PJ's, and some shoes sent to us by some friends! If anything, I'll be excited for her on Christmas morning!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Home "Tour" 2014

Merry Christmas! I figured that since Christmas is only a few days away I'd stop procrastinating and get some Christmas decor up on the blog! This year is a little different because A. We have a house to decorate vs. an apartment...so more space and B. a 10M old who is into exploring everything.

When it comes to decorating, I don't really have a "style"...kinda like my wardrobe. Anything goes really. I guess if I had to sum up this years decor, I'd call it "rustic glam"...actually, I just think it sounds good. Anyways, let's jump in.

I didn't decorate a whole lot.  I mainly focused on the heavy traffic areas of our home, the living room, dining room, and Florida room. Enjoy :)

         

A Big Deal

Two things tend to be a big deal around Christmas time to people: santa & Jesus. So, what's the difference between the two?

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

Just as santa comes once a year to offer presents, Jesus shows up in your life and stays with you forever to offer His presence. No present that you will ever receive can compare to the presence of the King. While santa places gifts underneath your tree, Jesus came to be your gift and take your place on a tree.

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

While Santa gives gifts to "nice" people, Jesus gave Himself to naughty people. As good as we think we are, our good deeds are still like filthy rags and Jesus came as a gift for us.

Jesus didn't come to make us good, He came to make us alive!

Merry Christmas 

from Alive!

A Big Deal

As we continue on in our series, "A Big Deal", we were reminded that Jesus not only came to earth as our Savior but as a servant. He not only came to seek and save but to also serve and sacrifice.

In modern day, we could compare Jesus to a janitor; as He cleans up our messes often times with no recognition. Maybe a waiter; working to serve us and not be served himself. And often times, the reason we come to church is to be served..."what's in it for me?" as opposed to serving in one area or another. We not only make our lives about us but we seek to make church about us, too.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

In many introductions to chapters in the Bible, the writer is often introduced as a "servant of Christ Jesus." If someone was to label you, would they label you as a servant of Christ Jesus?

• If anyone had the right to be born into this world as a King in a palace, it would have been Jesus. If anyone had the right to come and be served, it would have been Jesus. But Jesus was humble and HUMILITY SERVES.
• Jesus came to serve anybody and everybody. No one was too good or too bad to be served by Jesus.
• What was up came down so what was down could go up.
• Jesus sought after the type of people that we tend to avoid. 
• Jesus didn't come to occupy a throne but He came to occupy a cross...in your place. 
• On the first day of His ministry, Jesus washed others' feet. 

Jesus performed the greatest service of all when He died on a cross for people who hated Him & wanted nothing to do with Him. In order for us to go free, we have to accept Jesus' ransom that He already paid for us. We were guilty and Jesus paid our bail. 

A Big Deal

Last night we kicked off our December series with a challenge to make our giving lists a little larger than our wish lists because our God is all about giving. He gave to us regardless of if we were/are good or not. When we give, we act as God does. True joy is found in giving.

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Acts 20:35

• God didn't give what He had leftover. He gave His first and His best.
• Meeting a physical need opens up the door to meet a spiritual need.
• Giving isn't always comfortable. Sometimes it can be painful and uncomfortable to stretch out our arms but giving points to people and receiving points to ourselves. 
• Most of our spiritual growth happens when we get out of our comfort zone!
• Wherever your treasure is, your heart will be also. Whatever you want to have a heart for, invest your time and energy into that. 
• We were bought as we are. With all of our faults, defects, & failures. He paid the highest price for us.

Double Digits! 10 Months

Her I-know-I'm-not-supossed-to-touch-the-tree-but-I-can't-help-it face 

Diaper size: 3

Clothing size: 9M & 12M

Weight: Almost 18lbs!

Eye Color: Blue

Favorite Toy: Anything that she's not supposed to have (e.g. cords, remotes, laptop, etc.) Haha! Actually, she really just loves to play with whatever you have in your hand.

Sleeping Habits: This one is always fun. She's a champion of sleep at night. She sleeps from whenever we get home until 9:15-:9:30am. Nap time is still a challenge. I'm starting to think that it will always be rough. As of the last couple of days, she has ditched the morning nap and napped from about 1:30-4:30PM. Sometimes waking up sooner than that. She cat naps in the car...occasionally. 

Words: Mama, dadadada ;)

Best Moments: She's getting so big and so smart. She answers to her name and smiles at you when you walk in. I think everyday she learns a new trick. 

Hard Moments: Brooklynn is a fireball. She's got so much energy that she puts me to shame. I can't keep up to say the least. Therefore, I'm still exhausted at the end of the day. She requires 24/7 entertainment and that means not getting much "mom time". 

Fun info:When I say patty-cake, she starts clapping. She LOVES peek-a-boo but not the normal version...the version where you break a sweat hiding behind the couch or running back and forth from room to room. She also loves food...anything...there is nothing she won't eat. She still has her two bottom teeth and can almost stand on her own. She crawls around...fast! She wants to walk so bad she can't stand it. She grabs everything and puts everything in her mouth. I've given up worrying about germs, haha! She's super dramatic and emotional...let's hope that phase ends before middle school. She's either turning her nose up at you or screaming with laughter. She still hates wearing shoes.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Happy December 1st! We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! December is super crazy around here as we prep for a number of Christmas parties including one we are hosting this weekend! So with two seconds of rest while Brooklynn is sleeping (!!!) I thought I'd throw up some pictures from our Thanksgiving!

Be all there

Not many things aside from outfits and home decor tend to inspire me as I flip through my Pinterest page...until the other day...when my "life" flashed before my eyes, in Pinterest-form.

This happens to be something that I s.t.r.u.g.g.l.e. with on the daily. Because, we think that whatever's next will always be "better". The grass is always greener...right? As I type this, I've been trying to get Brooklynn to go to sleep for an hour and a half. As this has become a regular routine around here, I often let satan into my thoughts as I think, "thankful...for this?" With Thanksgiving approaching tomorrow, I find it hard, when it should be really easy, to be thankful. To be honest, this has probably been the most daunting year that I've ever had...in 27 years. It's been the most taxing on myself and the most trying on our marriage. Having Brooklynn really did rock our world. I'd be lying if I said Brooklynn was an easy baby. There is nothing easy about her sweet self. She's not the type to just sit and play by herself or enjoy a ride in the car. She's busy, hyper, energetic, not-a-napper, and outgoing...actually she's everything that I am not. Haha. To be honest, I prayed for this. I prayed that she would have her daddy's personality and her daddy's energy...maybe I should have prayed for that for her around age 11 or so. :-) As hard of a baby as she is...and as on most days consider her being the only child...I do have to wake up, smell (and drink lots of) the coffee and realize that she wasn't supposed to be here. At least not now. So, yes, in the dirty times, I'm thankful. I'd rather sit and listen to her cry for two hours than to have been proved by doctors that we couldn't have her. "Wherever you are"...this is where we are right now. We are trudging through the hyper-active stage of an almost 10 month old BUT...this is also where we are...

• A ministry and ministry team that is more than we could have asked or imagined with exciting new things coming very soon!!
• Living in a city and working alongside family...more than we could have asked or imagined.
• A new house that we have worked really hard over the last 4 1/2 years to be able to buy.
• A healthy baby that loves people.
• And if we had nothing but our salvation, that would (and should be) enough to be thankful for!

So, where are you this Thanksgiving? a high school student yearning for college? Working full time wanting to be doing something else? Single & needing a guy? Dating yet just wanting that ring? Living here wishing you were living there? I've been in all those places yet if I had to hit rewind and go back pre-kid, pre-husband, pre-boyfriend, pre-college then I would do it again just to be able to BE ALL THERE! So, if you are in one of these places, be all there. The Lord has us in the season that he wants us in.  Be thankful, as I try to be daily, for wherever you are. One day, you'll want to do it all over again! 

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24

Happy Thanksgiving!

Good Father

Last week we wrapped up Good Father and put a big bow on it...can you tell I'm ready for Christmas? In my own unbiased opinion, it was the best message of the whole series. Hope you didn't miss it...but if you did, I can catch you up!

When we get away from God's house, our relationship with Him suffers and too often when we have our own struggles in life, instead of running to God's house or God's people, we run from Him.

The first step towards ruin is deciding to run our lives independent of God. Yet, despite what you've done, God doesn't shun you. We learned from Luke 15 that the father in this story is a great parallel to our heavenly Father. If you know the story, you know that the younger son squandered all of his inheritance in wild living. When he came to his senses and headed home, the bible says

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.......32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’

This younger son went to his father and said, "give me..." The Lord won't always give us what we want but sometimes He will in order to teach us.

Thankful people realize what we've been given. What are you doing with the life God's given you? If you try and live your life without Jesus, you'll find yourself in need just like the younger brother.

Sin never looks good on anyone. Sin will make you look foolish and take you somewhere you don't want to be.

We do a great job at hiding our mess from people. Jesus embraces your mess.

Only Jesus can fill you. Everything else leaves you empty.

Repentance isn't just being sorry but then turning back and coming home.

The younger brother went from "give me..."(my inheritance) to "make me..." (your servant)

God gave us His best when we were at our worst...that's the GOSPEL!

Christians should CELEBRATE when people COME HOME!